Awe?! You can study this? You can, and it turns out it’s really important for our mental health. Dr. Dacher Keltner, the legendary UC Berkeley psychology professor, author, and founding director of the Greater Good Science Center, lent us some time to chat about his research into what makes us feel awe, and how that sense of vastness can make our lives and relationships richer. From spending some time under starry skies, to walking past ancient ruins, to listening to a favorite song, these big and little moments can help us feel smaller in the best way. Also: hop into a mosh pit. 

Visit Dr. Keltner’s website

Buy his book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, on Bookshop.org or Amazon

Listen to his series, Cities of Awe, on the Science of Happiness podcast

A donation went to the Bay Area Freedom Collective

More episode sources and links

Other episodes you may enjoy: Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Awesomeology (GRATITUDE FOR LITTLE THINGS), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Psychedeliology (HALLUCINOGENS), Museology (MUSEUMS), Fanthropology (FANDOM), FIELD TRIP: I Chase the 2024 Eclipse with Umbraphiles, FIELD TRIP: How to Change Your Life via the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topic

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky

Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek 

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.